UP AND AWAY — Austin Bowa and his DPE test Bowa's flight skills on his way to earning his pilot's license. Photos courtesy of Shelly Bowa

AUSTIN BOWA, 17, smiles after passing the tests needed to get a private pilot's license. The photo was taken at the Auburn Airport on Valentine's Day, which is also Austin's birthday. His mother, Shelly, believed he was the youngest helicopter pilot in the country.